Dover man facing sexual assault charges banned from social media

By JAMES A. KIMBLEUnion Leader Correspondent

BRENTWOOD — A 53-year-old Dover man freed on bail in July was ordered by a judge to stay off social media after prosecutors discovered a Twitter account was used to inquire how to contact a teenage girl he is accused of sexually assaulting, according to court records.

.David Schneider is facing charges of felonious sexual assault for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl in Newmarket five times between last June and January, according to prosecutors.

Judge David Anderson lowered Schneider’s bail from $50,000 to $20,000 cash on July 11 over the objections of prosecutors...Assistant County Attorney Kirsten Wilson recently asked Anderson to impose more restrictions on Schneider, citing concerns about a Twitter account that used a photo of the victim. Wilson said in court papers that investigators are in the process of obtaining all subscriber information on the Twitter account...“What is clear is that within days of the defendant being released, a Twitter account becomes active utilizing a photograph of (the victim) that the victim had sent to the defendant,” Wilson said in court papers. “That account is fervently attempting to locate the victim who has moved out of state.”..Police were called to Newmarket High School when they were informed that someone was using a Twitter account with the victim’s photo, according to Wilson.

“The state expressed during numerous bail hearings the danger that the defendant poses to the community, especially the victim and other young girls,” Wilson said in a court filing. Defense lawyer Mark Sisti told the judge that his client “has absolutely nothing to do with any communication” that prosecutors described. Anderson amended Schneider’s bail on Aug. 1, ordering him to refrain from using social media or having any contact with juveniles. Schneider remains on electronic monitoring.

Newmarket police began investigating the sexual assault on Jan. 14. The victim’s mother gave police a cell phone and a laptop frequently used by her daughter, which yielded evidence that led to Schneider’s arrest, according to court records. The girl told child advocacy workers that she knew Schneider only by “David,” a police affidavit says. No trial date has been set for Schneider. He faces up to 3½ to 7 years in state prison on each of the five charges...jkimble@newstote.com..